Five criminal cases opened on the attack on UOC convent in Cherkasy

Archpriest Georgy Pogranichny. Photo: a video screenshot of the Telegram channel "Dozor on KozakTV1"

In connection with the attack of radicals on the Convent of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Cherkasy, five criminal cases have been opened, but the investigation is at the initial stage, said the head of the Legal Department of the Cherkasy Eparchy of the UOC, Archpriest Georgy Pogranichny in an interview with the Telegram channel "Dozor on KozakTV1".

He noted that the police investigators "began to move a bit" only after the attack on the convent began after the intervention of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission and people's deputies.

"We are now at the initial stage – this is the stage that should have happened in the first few days after the offence was committed," said Fr. Georgy. “The police officers procrastinated for a very long time – probably waiting for the reaction of society or the authorities."

According to the priest, the investigators have so far interviewed only two victims, and "they have not met with the witnesses at all, and whether they will question the witnesses is unclear from their actions."

Fr Georgy said that law enforcers initiated one of the criminal proceedings based on the statement of the lawyer of the monastery, but they did it only by court decision, "because the staff of Cherkasy District Police Department did not see the corpus delicti, although they were present during the commission of these actions near the monastery".

Also, the head of the Legal Department of the eparchy said that one of the cases was handed to the military prosecutor's office.

"This means that the suspects belong to the military. Two of the military are fully identified – we know who they are and the investigation knows, so this case is handled directly by the Military Prosecutor's Office," Fr. Georgy noted.

As reported, MP Artem Dmytruk said that he identified at least two people who committed an offence during the seizure of the monastery in Cherkasy. They are the commander of the 2nd Assault Battalion of the 3rd OSB, Dmytro Kukharchuk, and his deputy, Ihor Zaichuk.

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